Fruit-drier.



No. 642,!77. Patented Ian. 30, I900. E. THOMPSON.

FRUIT DRIER.

(Application filed Dec. 23, 1898.)

(No Model.)

l in STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDXVARD THOMPSON, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,177, dated January 30, 1900. Application filed December 28,1898. Serial No 700,123. model- T0 (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driers, Fruit-Drying Processes, and Fruit-Drying Appliances; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Heretofore fruit has been dried mainly by exposure in trays to the heat of the sun. .I am also aware that fruit has been dried by permitting hot air to ascend from a hot-air chamber through several trays before passing out, also by revolving or movable trays manipulated in a chamber of hot air; but such processes and appliances differ largely from that herein described, they being more in the nature of cooking the fruit than drying it, there being not a sufficient current or change of hot air to readily carry 0% the moisture of the fruit.

My invention relates to fruit-drying; and the objects of my invention are to secure a separate current of air to each drying-compartment, automatic opening and closing of the hot-air ports on the insertion and withdrawal of the trays or compartments, and equalized distribution of the hot air among the several trays. I attain these objects by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation showing hot-air chamber, trays, and both closed and open ports. Fig. 2 shows the port opened when the tray is in place and closed when it is partially withdrawn. Fig. 3 shows a portion of valve E.

In the figures, A is the air-chamber; B, the air-current; O, the port; D, the tray; (Z, a projection on the tray for lifting the valve, and E the door or valve. e is a hinge for the valve, while I) is a steam-coil.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention consists of a plurality of trays, preferably a large number of trays with perforated or sieve bottoms in tiers on the sides of a hot-air chamber, so arranged that the hot air may enter below, pass through the tray and fruit or other material to be dried, and

thence out, each tray having its own current or portion of hot air admitted through a valve, preferably a gravity-valve, as shown, which valve is so arranged as to be opened by the insertion of the tray in its place when the trayis inserted in position for drying and selfclosing when the tray is withdrawn. The withdrawal of trays from the device has no effect upon it except that it reduces the number of lines in open connection with the hotair chamber. The valves close after the withdrawing tray, and the device being thus selfadjusting the drying proceeds as before.

By the partial withdrawal of any tray and the consequent partial closing of its port the drying of the individual'tray contents may be controlled, and by the closing of some of the ports the heat or air currents may be intensitied or increased as to the remaining trays or diverted at the will of the operator to different portions of the drier. The tray contents are also easily open to inspection.

It will be seen that in my device the heated or dry air is used but once only and then escapes, and fresh air is constantly supplied, so that I avoid the trouble with moisturecharged air and do not need finishing-chambers to perfect the drying of the fruit.

The orifices or air-passages are of preference somewhat smaller at or near the top, so as to equalize the quantity of air passing through each tray. The current of air may be produced by natural or artificial draft, as desired, and it may be hot or merely dry air, or it may be any kind of drying vapor. The valve E may be lifted and closed by a projection d, as shown, or this may be done by any other adequate mechanism.

Important features of my device are the valve between the tray and the hot-air chamber to be opened or operated by a projection on the tray or by the tray itself or any other device, so that the valve may be partially or wholly opened or closed by the adjustment in or out of position of the tray, also the governing by the said adjustment of the valve of the quantity of air or heat admitted to each tray to accelerate or retard the dryin I do not limit myself to any size of drier or parts or to any kinds of material for the construction of the device; but a standard drier would he, say, ten tiers on each side of the hot-air chamber, the trays to be thirty inches by thirty inches with three-inch sides, the bottoms of cane, somewhat like'a'chair-bottom. The dry air or heat may be produced by stoves or steam-coils or a natural dry air may be used or otherwise. The divisions between the tiers should be of one-inch boards and between the trays in the tiers of sheet metal, the whole to be preferably in a building of two stories, large enough to afford room to operate itsay twenty-two feet by thirtysix feetwith stories eight feet in height. The coil 1), if used, is preferably placed below the drying-room and in a sheet-iron case, with cold-air passages at the bottom and open at the top; but heat or heated or dry. air may come from any source.

What I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

chamber, a laterally-movable, port-opening and port-closing drawer or tray, for holding the material to be dried, substantially as described and shown.

i 3. In a fruit-drying device the combination of the hot-air or dry-air port C, the laterallymovable drawer or tray D inserted in the port and having an attachment d, to graduate the current of air, and the drawer-controlled gravity-flap E, substantially as described and shown.

4. In a fruit-drying device the port 0, drying drawer or tray D, projection d, and gravity-valve E, substantially as described and shown.

5. In a fruit-drier having a hot-air chamber and one or more trays or drying-compartments for holding the material to be dried, a valve interposed between the air-chamber and the interior of the compartment, said valve being adapted to be partially or wholly opened or closed by the adjustment of the tray to govern or control the quantity of air or heat admitted tothe compartment.

6. In a fruit-drying device the combination of a hot or dry air chamber, ports opening from the chamber directly into the air without the chamber, perforated or sieve-bottomed trays tohold the fruit located in the ports so that the ports must discharge through or around the trays, and traycontrolled valves between the air-chamber and the trays,adapted to open as the tray is inserted in place, and close as the tray is withdrawn, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD THOMPSON.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN MCDONALD, C. M. SKILLEN. 

